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One in every six deaths resulting from the Dengue outbreak was a child under the age of 15, according to a recent report by UNICEF.
The situation report, published on Friday, further shows that one in every five people infected by the mosquito-borne disease was a child.
As of Monday, Bangladesh has seen a record 3,19,475 dengue cases since January 1, 2023. The number of fatalities has also surged to an alarming 1,686 with four more deaths today, marking the highest death toll ever recorded in a dengue outbreak.
A total of 1,456 dengue patients, including 449 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
September has so far been the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak this year with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.
According to the UNICEF study, children under the age of 15 constitute 17 per cent of those infected.
Alarmingly, children under five are at an increased risk of severe illness, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.30 per cent, the report shows.
Among the reported 1,686 deaths, 57 per cent were female, while 10 per cent were children below 15 years old.
The report specifically shed light on the plight of dengue outbreak among the Rohingya refugees taking shelter in multiple camps across Cox’s Bazar.
As of December 2, a total of 17,469 individuals had tested positive for dengue. This includes 4,062 Bangladeshis and 13,407 individuals from Rohingya camps as of November 26.
Among them, 2,300 were admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital (2,001 Bangladeshi and 299 Rohingya refugees), and an additional 1,555 were admitted to Upazila Hospitals.
A total of 18 dengue-related deaths were reported across the district, with 15 deaths from Rohingya camps and 3 from the host community, the UNICEF situation report shows.
The UN children's organisation has allocated approximately US$4.1 million to support the emergency response to the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh aiming to support “a multi-sectoral response to the dengue outbreak and prevent more women, children, and other vulnerable members of the population from further infections.”
UNICEF, however, highlighted a substantial gap of $1.5 million in dengue funding required to offer crucial support to vulnerable children and mothers amidst the dengue response.
